Thursday, July 27, 2006

Vangelis O. Papathanassiou – Earth {Greece} [1973 ]@256 (Must-Have-Deep-Ethno-Trip)

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MANELIS

…. AND TO THE GUY WHO SAID THAT THIS BLOG WAS GOING DOWN FAST...

This album has been in my all-time-best list since I was 17, and that was many, many, many years ago. The thing is that I have never tired of listening to it. I believe that this album is perfect. I know it might be bit too much to call something perfect, but this musical object is as close to perfection as any rock album can be. (Although…If this is a rock album is something that belongs to the realm of controversy).

If you know Vangelis only from his electronic compositions or only because of the awarded soundtrack to Chariots of Fire be prepared for a major surprise. This one is different. This is not solo Vangelis with a paraphernalia of Synthesizers. There’re keyboards here, of course but there’s also a rocking band and a good lot of uncredited Mediterranean and Asia Minor sublime instruments. That blend gives Earth an exotic and otherworldly quality that very few albums have achieved in the last four decades.

Earth was the logical consequence of Vangelis previous epic work with Aphrodite’s Child, the band that catapulted him as a keyboardist. That work was the extraordinary and extremely essential “666” one of the best conceptual albums of all times, based on the biblical Apocalypse. It is obvious that Earth was made of some 666 ashes. One feels that some Earth songs would have fit perfectly there, but as this album wasn’t made to tell a story it doesn’t classify as conceptual and thus, it flows as a free form sonic experience, showing the influences that Vangelis had gathered during the psychedelic years and drawing for us a precious draft of what was going to be his majestic solo career after this jewel.

That flow of thing starts with the energetic track “Come On” a repetitive scream that has something deeply shamanic and cathartic. Then it blends (in the middle of the best recorded thunderstorm ever) with the song-poem “We’re all uprooted”, a metaphysical and cosmic lament that could well be a parable of the human condition. (yes, it is that deep). It follows then a sublime, inner and meditative past aided by middle eastern and greek influences and goes back to psych and pop in incredibly beautiful songs as “My Face in the Rain”, or enigmatic musical vignettes as He-O. You will not miss Demis Roussous angelic voice because Robert Fittousi’s vocal works are so good that one might thing he could have replaced Roussous or Jon Anderson in any band. The rest of the journey is as trippy as the parts described. There’s not even a fraction of a second wasted in this listening experience.

This is a sideways approach to the mind of a genius. After this one, Vangelis decided to go solo and started a career that lies in the middle ground between classical, electronic and prog. Nonetheless, Earth still stands as a great album and one that has value of his own.

As I said at the beginning it is in my favorite’s list. Actually it is in my 10 Albums For A Desert Island List. (Don’t panic! I don’t plan to get marooned in any desert island any soon. I’ll keep blogging).

In his excellent Clivage post, our friend Algarnas makes a list of great ProtoWorld Music albums. This is my answer to him.

Listen to it.
I say that perfection is possible.
You tell me if I am wrong.

Meanwhile,

Keep Listening…!!!

You’ll find the links if you look inside you.

Or where they used to be.

Vangelis – He-o…

30 comments:

Jaime Antonio Alvarez said...

Get Really Deep Inside The Mind of a Genius

Anonymous said...

Many thanks sir for "emergency". And what about for R.BUNN? MAN! what a record!!! What a surprise for me! Bravo for ROMANOS & VANGELIS great musicians from my country(GREECE). You know in music what is really superb. You know music. I don't know if you will like it, but try to find (&post-i don't have a p.c.)I.GURDJIEFF-THE HARMONIUM DEVELOPMENT(cd box)///An amazing time in music history.Something so spiritual,human,simple and deep-unlike everything else you ever heard. Believe me-i have only one song for this(9'long) and has amazes me. BE HEALTHY,FREE AND STRONG TO CONTINUE-NATURE BOY

Anonymous said...

The cd reissue of R.BUNN has many great bonus tracks!-ALEX/// THANKS MR. PROG.

Anonymous said...

Eh, I still say this blog is going downhill. All you did by posting this Vangelis was prove my point. El Greco, L'Apocalypse des Animaux, Blade Runner, and Heaven and Hell are all better albums in my book. KEEP TRYING

Anonymous said...

Wonderful Stuff..!!
Playing it now :O)

"El Greco, L'Apocalypse des Animaux, Blade Runner, and Heaven and Hell are all better albums in my book. KEEP TRYING"

Dunno 'bout those other albums.

This is good, thanks PrognFrog.

Anonymous said...

hehe, this proves even further just how fast this blog continues to spiral downwards...this album sucks shit!

Anonymous said...

This post was not by me (TheBassPlayer) some asswipe is using my name, so please ignore everything from him as i will not be posting anymore in any blog!

Anonymous said...

I think this blog is great. It's all a matter of opinion that this one guy doesn't like it.

Anonymous said...

Fuck you Nick you prick. You told me ahead of time you were posting this comment, remember??

Anonymous said...

Why?????? what is this all about??!?!?!?

alvega said...

It's a weeny ompetition.
It's going down because you think that so and so...?
Who the hell gives a flying fuck ?
Get a life.

Anonymous said...

hey alvega!I was wondering, what's an "ompetition" anyway? New word?Oh, you mean "weenie competition"? First of all, why don't you get a life and learn how to spell you fucking doink. Next,you're invited to join me, TheBassPlayer, and -GoRf- for our next "weenie competition". We have them once every month.

Anonymous said...

as a gay man I must say I dont hold sway with any of the comments expressed on this here blog. In regard to your comment about the weeners I prefer a bit of bottom action any day of the week and that includes Sundays which is usually my sausage day, either way naked is fine, keep it sexy guys...

Anonymous said...

I second that Plaid its certainly good to know that the gay presence is being kept up on this blog. Being bi myself with a preference toward the more masculine of the sexes(hint, wink wink) I gotta say your comments made my heart skip a beat and my head race, I'm your number one fan honey, keep up the good work

Anonymous said...

ohhhhhhhhh, I'm really beginning to love the blog here. TheBassPlayer,-GoRf, and Unknownfuckingprickwordsman, can we all get together for a 4-some you think?

Anonymous said...

hey guys calm down we welcome all sorts on these blogs , I love being part of such a multi-sexual forum. What a day it is to come out, plaid and oveh youve inspired me to free my self from the shackles of being a straight heavy metal stalker. I'm gay and I'm proud!!! thank you sexy guys

Anonymous said...

and I thought I was the only 'gay in the village' i feel warm though i do admit to feeling slighltly violated at some of you amourous attentions towards me, stay holy my men beasts.

Anonymous said...

I love you crimhead it took real guts to do that, can i kiss your face? only kidding buddykins, your'e a real example to the gay contingent on this blog dont let any douchebag tell you otherwise.

Anonymous said...

well i'm sorry to burst your bubble oveh but I have actually kissed crimhead on the lips and whilst it was an enjoyable and moist experience i found it sadly lacking in fact i just felt empty afterwards am I weird?

Anonymous said...

plaid you said nothing about this at the time if you want to know what i thought about said kiss well i brushed my teeth afterwards for at least an hour so there.. i still love you as a friend though

Anonymous said...

your'e not weird plaid i get that same feeling when i kiss girls, ik wonder how i would feel if i kissed you hihihihihi

Anonymous said...

this blog has truly gone downhill first someone posts a vangelis?!?!?!?! album then it becomes some sort of love in for every gay man from far around, get it together guys,gays whatever you are

Anonymous said...

hey lets start a thread about our favourite gay influenced prog/fusion albums I vote for leprechaun by chick corea for my number one gay fusion album, it wows my man friends at dinner parties. keep it humble sex pests mmm mmm mmm xxx

Anonymous said...

well it has to be any album that features the playing that of gary husband who i wish was my husband hihihihahahahaha

Anonymous said...

these guyz must be losers!! keep the flag high prognotfrog!

Anonymous said...

What a surprise!!!
I came into this Forum to talk about music, specially about Vangelis music...and what I found??
A full guide of Who's Who in the gay world!!
I don't give a damm for if you're "gay" or "macho man" I look into the inner feelings of the people to find some special thing there.

SO PLEASE BOYS,LETS FORGET OUR DIFFERENCES AND TALK MAINLY ABOUT MUSIC!!!!! All we need is MUSIC and LOVE!

A very special "thank you " for THE HERBALIST!!!!

Good Vibrations for everyone!!

Carlos Harrison from São Paulo - Brasil

admin said...

This is great! Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hi,I m new to this wonderful world of blogging. Thanks a lot to all these people who take their time to upload lots of exciting music for others to discover. This blog has so many intresting records so why some complain I don't understand. Sad though that many links are deleted. Englands Garden Shed and that pakistani folkpsych thingi. Earth should one take as the follow up to 666 and since I love that album I was very excited to find this one here but where's the link? (Maybe I better put my glasses on but...)Keep up this very good work.

Jassa

Anonymous said...

Firt of all, congratulations for the blog, one of the bests proger blogs on net. Earth is highly recommended. It´s the first great Vangelis´album, a prelude to things to come. The first track ( Come on) is the weakest, too noisy and too shouting, but the rest isn f*** great. Download it!

Anonymous said...

Hi there!
Could you please re-post this great swirl masterpiece?
thanks in advance and best regards.
thegreek

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